The present invention relates to a beverage bottle, in particular to a wine or sparkling wine bottle, having a bottle neck which leads into a pouring opening. It further relates to a method for closing a beverage bottle of that kind.
In a century-long tradition, a wine bottle or a sparkling wine bottle usually has a cork or cork stopper as closure element which is introduced into the pouring opening of the bottle neck of the wine bottle. Closing wine and sparkling wine bottles in this manner has proven worthwhile, in particular, because cork, as a natural material, satisfies the preconditions given for a long-term storage of wine in the bottle to a particularly great extent. Especially with respect to processibility and tightness, cork is an inexpensive closure material involving a reasonable manufacturing outlay. Due to the long tradition in using cork for closing wine bottles, moreover, the consumers associate a cork stopper of that kind with extensive experience in the production of wine. Therefore, wine offered in a wine bottle which is closed in such a manner usually enjoys a comparatively high esteem in consumer circles.
Alternatively to using cork, a wine bottle can also be equipped with a screw closure. In this case, usually a metallic closing cap is used which is screwed on the bottle neck via a screw thread, thus closing the pouring opening of the wine bottle. A wine bottle closed with such a screw cap can be clearly distinguished from a wine bottle closed with a cork stopper already by its outer appearance. However, closure systems using screw closures are predominantly used for comparatively cheaper and, consequently, inferior wines. Because of this, moreover, a wine offered in a wine bottle having a screw closure enjoys only a lower esteem among the consumers than a wine offered in a wine bottle which is closed with a cork stopper.
Contrary to the high esteem among the consumers, however, a closure using a cork stopper can also have negative effects on the wine stored in a wine bottle closed in such a manner. In particular, as a result of contact with the wine stored in the wine bottle, a cork stopper can release flavoring substances into the wine, thus impairing or corrupting the taste of the wine. Such impairments of the wine can occur in 10 percent to 16 percent of the wine stored in such a manner. Moreover, for a sufficient sealing effect, the cork stopper must be adapted to the inside dimension of the bottle neck or of the pouring opening in a comparatively exact manner and, in addition, be treated thermally, involving a comparatively high manufacturing outlay.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is a beverage bottle, in particular, a wine or sparkling wine bottle of the type indicated above, whose closure system, on the one hand, makes it possible to prevent the beverage stored therein from being impaired in its taste even during a long storage period and, on the other hand, accommodates the esteem of the consumers to a special degree. Another object of the present invention is a method for closing a beverage bottle which is particularly suitable for attaching such a closure system.
With regard to the beverage bottle, the present invention provides a beverage bottle, in particular, a wine or sparkling wine bottle, comprising a bottle neck (4) which leads into a pouring opening (6), the pouring opening (6) being closed with a crown cap (10) which is surrounded by an external packing composed of a molded cap (22) and of a capsule (28) which encircles the molded cap together with a part of the bottle neck (4).
An advantage of the present invention is that an impairment in taste of the beverage stored in the beverage bottle, in particular of the wine stored therein, can be avoided in that cork is consequently dispensed with as closure material. To ensure a long storage life, rather a mechanically stable closure element on a metallic basis can be used. In this context, for particularly simple processibility, it can be particularly beneficial to use a crown cap as the closure element. A crown cap allows the beverage bottle to be closed using conventional equipment. However, to ensure that the good storage properties achievable in this manner are also combined with a special esteem in the buyer circles, the beverage or wine bottle, moreover, should, in its appearance, look similar to a wine bottle closed with a cork stopper. To this end, the metallic closure element is surrounded by an external packing which, in its outer appearance, copies a beverage bottle provided with a cork closure.
In this context, to maintain a particularly high dimensional stability even during different handling steps, the external packing includes a molded cap. This molded cap, together with a part of the bottle neck, is encircled by a jacket denoted as capsule, as could also be used in the case of a wine or sparkling wine bottle which is closed in a conventional manner using a cork stopper. In this context, the capsule extends beyond the molded cap, and further encircles an upper part of the bottle neck of the beverage bottle, as well. Exactly because of that, it is avoided to a special degree, that the appearance of the beverage bottle gets close to a screw cap which is considered to be inferior.
For a particularly long and stable storage life while maintaining a high tightness, the crown cap, which can be designed, in particular, in compliance with DIN 6099, is advantageously made on the basis of high-grade steel. In this case, the metal body forming the so-called xe2x80x9cmirrorxe2x80x9d and the teeth of the crown cap is expediently composed of the material ASI 316.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the crown cap, on its side facing the interior of the bottle, is provided with a seal made of plastic in an inner region or in the region of its mirror to ensure a particularly high tightness. In this context, provision is preferably made for low-density polyethylene, which is also referred to as LD-PE, as sealing material.
For use in great quantities and for a particularly small manufacturing outlay, the molded cap is preferably made of plastic as well, in particular of high-density polyethylene which is also referred to as HD-PE.
In different situations, for example during storage or during shipping or, in particular, during the opening of the beverage bottle, the molded cap can be subject to torsional moments or moments of rotation relative to the actual bottle body. In this context, to reliably rule out a, per se, unwanted rotation of the molded cap relative to the bottle neck, the molded cap advantageously has an anti-rotation protection. To this end, in an advantageous embodiment, a number of snap-in locking elements designed, for example, in the manner of a stretched cylinder body, are integrally molded at a circumferential inner side of the molded cap. The snap-in locking elements are arranged in such a manner, that, when the molded cap is slipped over the crown cap, they each engage with a space between two neighboring teeth of the crown cap, respectively. In this context, a torque possibly acting upon the molded cap is intercepted or borne via the snap-in locking elements and the corresponding teeth of the crown cap so that the molded cap cannot rotate relative to the bottle body.
For secure attachment of the crown cap, the bottle neck of the beverage bottle preferably has a first circumferential lip bead or a lip in the immediate vicinity of the pouring opening. In the mounted condition, the crown cap embraces this lip bead with its bending lips which are arranged at its outer edge and separated by its so-called xe2x80x9cteeth.xe2x80x9d To rule out a mechanical impairment of the mounted crown cap and, in particular, a mechanical sticking, moreover, the bottle neck advantageously has a second circumferential lip bead at, compared to the first lip bead, a slightly larger distance from the pouring opening. This lip bead is preferably dimensioned in such a manner that it protects the mounted crown cap from mechanical actions to a great extent. To this end, the second circumferential lip bead expediently has a, compared to the first circumferential lip bead, approximately one millimeter larger outside diameter. In addition, in the open condition, a bottle provided with a second lip bead in such a manner also gets close to a sparkling wine or champagne bottle in its appearance so that a special esteem can be achieved among the buyers even in the open condition.
Mechanical impairments of the crown cap can be avoided to an even greater extent by dimensioning the molded cap in such a manner that, together with the second circumferential lip bead, it forms a jacket which completely encircles the crown cap. In an embodiment of that kind, the crown cap can no longer be directly touched from the outside so that the risk of impairments or damage and, consequently, of a resulting loss in tightness is markedly reduced. To this end, in an expedient embodiment, the molded cap can be dimensioned in such a manner that, at its circumferential edge, it terminates flush with the second circumferential lip bead. However, in an alternative, particularly beneficial embodiment, the molded cap has a casing which has an essentially cylindrical design, and which is provided with a circumferential recess for accommodating the second circumferential lip bead. In this context, the recess can be formed like a channel or groove whose profile is adapted to the outer profile of the second circumferential lip bead in such a manner that, when the molded cap is mounted, an at least partially positive-locking connection results. In this manner, the molded cap is mechanically fixed in its position and, therefore, has a particularly high stability. In addition, the molded cap is supported at the bottle neck particularly well with respect to externally acting forces so that a particularly high stability and resistance arises, for example, during the mechanical attachment of the outer capsule.
In a further expedient embodiment, the molded cap is dimensioned in such a manner, that, in view of the dimensioning of the bottle neck and of the second circumferential lip bead, the impression of a so-called xe2x80x9cupper-band mouthxe2x80x9d arises for the beverage bottle. In the case of an upper-band mouth, the bottle has a broad circumferential bead on the bottle neck, the bead ending flush with the pouring opening. By appropriate dimensioning, it is ensured in a particularly favorable manner that for a beverage bottle, in particular a wine bottle, closed in this manner, the same esteem can be achieved among the buyers as with a wine bottle which is traditionally closed using a cork stopper.
The capsule can be made, for example, from polyethylene film laminated with aluminum on both sides or from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) but is preferably formed of tin.
With respect to the method for closing a beverage bottle, the mentioned objective is achieved in that the molded cap is initially connected to a starting body, in particular made of tin, which is provided for forming the capsule, the molded cap then being put over the pouring opening provided with the crown cap, the starting body subsequently being rolled or shrunk onto the molded cap as well as on the respective part of the bottle neck to form the capsule.
By such a sequence, a particularly time-saving and effective manufacturing process can be achieved. In particular, the molded cap can be arranged in the starting body for the capsule in the manner of a preassembly. The intermediate product prepared in such a manner can then be easily slipped over the crown cap already closing the pouring opening and put on the second lip bead of the bottle neck or brought into contact therewith. Subsequently, in the case of a capsule formed of tin, the capsule is rolled, and in the case of a capsule formed on a PVC basis, the capsule is shrunk onto the molded cap and on the upper part of the bottle neck, giving the closure system a particularly uniform and, consequently, high-quality impression. In this sequence, the beverage bottle as such is subject to the closing measures only during a comparatively short period of time so that comparatively high throughput rates are achievable.
The advantages attained using the present invention are, in particular, that, by combining a metallic closure element with a molded cap encircling the metallic closure element, it is possible, on the one hand, to achieve a high-quality closure having a high sealing effect, on the other hand, to protect the actual closure element from mechanical action. With respect to the visual effect, moreover, a comparatively traditional design can be achieved by this arrangement. It is exactly because of the casing of the molded cap and of the upper part of the bottle neck with a shared capsule that it is also guaranteed that the impression of a beverage or wine bottle having an upper-band mouth can be given so that the buyers associate a comparatively high esteem with a beverage offered in such a manner.